Strike Aces
Alternative title: Fighter Bomber (European release)
Platform: Commodore 64
Gametype: Undefined
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Strike Aces is a flight simulator designed to give players a feel for the quick decision-making process that real pilots need to fly. It takes place at the Strategic Air Command Bombing and Navigation Competition, a real-life event that occurs every year at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota. The best aircrews from around the world and some of the best aircraft come to participate in a series of three missions that are constantly monitored, with points awarded to aircrews in various categories. In the end, the aircrew that has gained the post points receives the Curtis E. LeMay trophy.

In this game, you are the pilot of one of these aircrews with a choice of flying one of six aircraft, and your missions will pit you against any of seven additional enemy aircraft (although you will not get to fly them). To practice flying, you can do a Free Flight; when you're ready to compete, you will get to complete a series of 16 missions. You can also design your own missions, if you like.

Alternate Titles

"Strike Aces: International Bombing Competition" -- Tag-lined title
"Fighter Bomber" -- European title
"Bomber" -- Working title

Bugs

The Commodore 64 version is bugged (?) - seeing another plane in it is a rare occurrence.

Development

Because it would slow the game down too much, there is no collision detection on Mount Rushmore, and you can fly straight through it and not crash your plane.

Awards

ST Format
Issue 01/1991 – #7 Best Simulator Game in 1990 (Atari ST)

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Description from the packaging:

International Bombing Competition.
13 International Warplanes. One Coveted Prize.
Dawn launch, South Dakota. NATO's finest pilots greet the pride of the Warsaw Pact. Stellar flight crews from around the globe gather on a remote air-strip to answer one question.
Who is the world's top bombing squadron?
You are one of these honored airmen, vying for the Strategic Air Command's most prestigious award- the Curtis E. LeMay trophy.

Fly one of 6 lethal strike aircraft against 7 international interceptors. Embark on 16 precision bombing missions or create unlimited attack runs with the "Mission Design" feature.
The Strike Aces are airborne. Let the competition begin.
Pilot one of 6 high-speed strike aircraft.

Lower the boom with the F-111F Aardvark- the plane Reagan launched on Libya. Drop bombs from Britain's Panavia Tornado, perennial winner of this event. Rattle windows in the F-15 Strike Eagle, fabulous F-4E Phantom, MiG 27 Flogger and Saab AJ37 Viggen.
Press "auto-arm" and your jet is loaded with a full weapons platform.
Choose to fly with a maximum payload or customize with mission-specific firepower. Ruin runways with Durandals or shoot down Soviets with Sidewinders. Choose from Paveway II's and Mavericks to JP 233's and free falling bombs.

Engage in air-to-air combat with one of 7 deadly interceptors.
The F-14 Tomcat. Agile dogfighter armed with a six-barrel, 20-millimeter Gatling gun. Exchange heat-seekers with the F-14, or go one-on-one with the F-16 Falcon, F-5E Tiger II, MiG 29 Fulcrum, MiG 31 Foxhound, Mirage 2000 or SU 27 Flanker.
Take-off on 16 devastating bombing missions.

The military equivalent of the Olympic Games. Deposit payloads during 16 sweat soaked sorties, taking out targets and taking on bogeys. Construct additional bombing runs with the "Mission Design" feature.
Experience the realism of 3-D polygon-fill technology and bit-map graphics.
Fluid flight. Painstaking details. Feast your eyes on the cockpit of an F-4E Phantom. Horizon and altitude appear in the head-up display unit (HUD). Lock-on bridge, then "bombs away."
Rendezvous with a tanker for the critical task of refueling.

Lifeline of all attack aircraft, in-flight refueling, as seen here from both the chase plane and pilot view, requires a steady throttle and a cool head. Miss a drink, scrub a mission.
